1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of information services. In particular, the invention relates to technologies for improving voice-based access to instant messaging services over a telephone interface.
2. Description of the Related Art
Instant Messaging services such as the popular ICQ((trademark)) and AOL INSTANT MESSANGER((trademark)), also referred to as AIM, both operated by America Online, Inc., Dulles, Va. (AOL), have risen in popularity in the last few years and shown explosive growth. Older protocols and services such as Internet Relay Chat (IRC), see RFC 1459, and the even older talk program (primarily found on UNIX((trademark))-type computers) have quickly been eclipsed. Competitors to AOL such as Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Wash., and Yahoo!, Inc., Santa Clara, Calif., have introduced competing instant messenger products that operate in a similar overall fashion to AIM which shall be used as a reference herein.
Turning to prior art FIGS. 1-2, exemplary screenshots from AIM operating under the Windows((trademark)) operating system are shown. FIG. 1 shows the buddy list 100. The buddy list 100 allows a user of AIM to see which buddies (other users of interest to our particular user, e.g. friends, co-workers, family members) are signed on, e.g. Buddy1, Buddy2, Buddy3, and Buddy4 in this example. When the user desires to instant message, or IM, with a buddy, she simply clicks on the send instant message button 102 and a window such as the buddy chat window 200 of FIG. 2 appears. The buddy chat window 200 allows a user to see a message history 202 of previous messages in an IM session and compose additional messages in the message composition areas 204.
Additionally, if both users have sufficient computer equipment, e.g. microphones, speakers, fast enough Internet connections, etc., the newer versions of the AIM client software allow computer-to-computer voice communications over the packet switched Internet backbone, e.g. by clicking on the over Internet voice chat button 104. Clicking on the button will bring up a window for monitoring performance and, in half duplex mode, controlling who speaks when.
Previous IM systems do not provide a mechanism for allowing users of a basic telephone (or wireless telephone) to send and receive instant messages. Further, the existing systems are not adapted to handle voice only users, e.g. users who do not have a graphical user interface (GUI) for reviewing buddy lists and sending/receiving text messages.
On the telephone side, several types of xe2x80x9cparty linesxe2x80x9d have been offered, frequently of the pay variety (900 number in the United States). However, these services have never been integrated with an IM service and further these services do not have an xe2x80x9cappearancexe2x80x9d/xe2x80x9cbuddyxe2x80x9d concept to allow specific users to contact each other. Rather, they are simply large conference calls.
Lastly, previous systems have not allowed two telephone users to be connected by way of a computer based identity such as an instant message appearance.
Accordingly, what is needed is a method and apparatus for allowing users with telephones to access IM services. The system should support a number of features that allow users of the traditional computer based IM service to be notified when a buddy is signed in by way of the phone and message that buddy, and vice versa. Similarly, communication between phone based users by way of the IM service should be supported.
A method and apparatus for enabling users of a phone based speech activated system such as a voice portal to communicate with users of an Internet based instant messenger (IM) service is described. Phone based users are able to send and receive IMs. Incoming messages can cause an asynchronous notification in the user""s current voice application and the user can (if they desire) switch contexts to hear the IM and respond.
Sent messages may be expeditiously sent to users of the GUI as a hypertext link to a recorded audio. Other formats may include textual representations of speech, e.g. through the results of speech recognition as well as initiation of a voice communication in the format of the IM protocol. Buddy lists can be provided, e.g. phone based users can indicate those users they want to know the online/offline status for. The buddy list might be presented verbally.
Notably, the IM functionality changes the general